Leading glass container manufacturer and filler, Encirc, has been supporting Independent UK lager brand, Skinny Lager, in growing its business following a massive increase in demand. 

Encirc has been working with the reduced-calorie, premium lager company since mid-2019, creating sustainable glass bottles and filling them at its purpose-built site in Elton, Cheshire. Over the last year, Skinny Lager’s business has increased incredibly – going from an initial demand of 25,000 litres in the first five months, to approximately 108,000 litres every month.  

Throughout the pandemic, Encirc worked closely with Skinny Lager, ensuring the seamless filling, storing and shipping of products from one location. Encirc’s ‘360’ service allowed the brand to quickly and effectively scale up its business, despite significant challenges to the beverage supply chain over the last 18 months.  

Encirc’s range of different packaging formats also helped Skinny Lager adapt as the consumer landscape shifted. They were quickly able to work with smaller scale formats, offering 4-pack clusters, rather than larger variants. This helped Skinny Lager become a more appealing option to housebound consumers, many of whom wanted to relax more during lockdown, while also being mindful of their weight. 

Andrew Proctor, Sales Manager, Encirc, commented: “Skinny Lager is a fantastic brand, and we’re so pleased to have seen them grow their business, proposition and market share. They have shown great vision and agility during a challenging time, and their volume increases speak for themselves.” 

 “There is a misconception that, at Encirc, we’re only willing to work with brands that need huge volumes straight away. The reality is that we’re also excited to work with smaller companies that we believe in and have solid growth aspirations we can support, of which Skinny Lager are a great example. We’re very proud that our connections, expertise, and 360 supply chain offering have helped Skinny Lager grow at such an impressive rate”. 

Anthony Carpenter, COO at Skinny Lager said “The team at Encirc have been both accessible and flexible, helping us reach more of our customers, and were able to accommodate our development every step along the way. We were initially impressed by their 360 offering and a shared ethos around the value of sustainability. Their industry connections and know-how have served to strengthen our organisation. We’re very excited for the future, as we know that, with Encirc, we don’t need to limit our ambitions”.